Coast Guard crews to enforce Kailua Bay security zone

Coast Guard law enforcement officers will enforce a temporary security zone in Kailua Bay beginning as early as Dec. 21, 2012.

The temporary security zone is necessary to ensure the safety of the President of the United States and his official party.

The security zone will be in effect from 6 a.m. December 21, 2012 to 10 p.m. January 6, 2013, unless canceled earlier by the Captain of the Port Honolulu, Capt. Joanna Nunan.

The Coast Guard is coordinating with the Honolulu Police Department, Marine Corps Base Hawaii and other Federal, state, and county law enforcement agencies on patrols of the area under the direction of the U.S. Secret Service.

The maritime security zone includes a portion of Kailua Bay, beginning at Kapoho Point and extending westward to the shoreline near Kailuana Loop. The zone also includes the adjacent canal beginning near Kapoho Point to a point extending the canal way to approximately 150 yards south of the North Kalaheo Avenue road bridge.

A marker will be placed on Kailua Beach, a yellow buoy will be placed on the water and an orange boom will placed in the canal for visual references of the zone.

Under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 165.33), the temporary law prohibits any unauthorized person or vessel from entering or remaining in this security zone. Any person entering the zone without the permission of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port is subject to a penalty of not more than $40,000 for each violation or a criminal penalty resulting in imprisonment of not more than 10 years.

For more information about the security zone, contact the Sector Honolulu command center at 808-842-2600.

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Students with their whole lives ahead of them and the teachers who tried to protect them were among the 17 people killed when a gunman opened fire with an AR-15 at a large high school in south Florida.More >>